Schumacher relishing return to SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals

Monday, March 24, 2014

Tony Schumacher is the defending Top Fuel champion of the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.
Marc Sanchez

LAS VEGAS - It hasn't been the best start to the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season for seven-time Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher. But there's no better place for Schumacher to turn his season around than at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for this weekend's 15th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.

Schumacher may hail from Chicago but he has made himself at home when the NHRA visits Las Vegas. He leads all Top Fuel drivers with seven victories at The Strip, including last year's SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.

The personable Schumacher is at a loss, however, to explain his dominance in Las Vegas.

"I wish I had the answer because I'd bottle it up and sell it," Schumacher said. "There's just no answer. Why haven't we ever won at Atlanta? Or why have we won the U.S. Nationals nine times at Indy, and that's the hardest race in the world?"

The timing of the two Las Vegas events - the fourth race of the year and the penultimate race of the season - may have something to do with the success Schumacher has enjoyed here.

"(The SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals) is early in the year when there's pressure and (the fall race is) the next-to-last race when we've had to do well to either clinch the championship or get into position to do it the next race at Pomona," he said.

Schumacher would like to rekindle some of that Las Vegas magic this weekend. He opened the season with a first-round loss at Pomona and followed with a pair of second-round losses at Phoenix and Gainesville. He comes into this weekend's SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals ranked eighth in Top Fuel points, 163 points behind front-running Doug Kalitta.

Schumacher became the first driver in NHRA history to win six consecutive Top Fuel world championships when he ran the table from 2004 to 2009. He also won the title in 1999. He has finished second, fifth, second and seventh in points the past four seasons.

The 15th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals begin Friday with pro qualifying sessions at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will be at 1:10 and 4:50 p.m. Saturday, with Pro Stock runs for the K&N Horsepower Challenge at 1, 3:45 and 4:45 p.m. Saturday. Final eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday.